Got a surprise deposit from fed-prov/terr Canada. No clue what this money is?

This is almost certainly a tax benefit payment from the Canadian government. Based on your change in employment status, you might have qualified for one of several programs: The Canada Workers Benefit (CWB) is the most likely source - it's a refundable tax credit for eligible working individuals and families who have low income. When your employment situation changed, your eligibility may have been recalculated. There's also the GST/HST credit which gets paid quarterly, or potentially a provincial benefit depending on which province you're in. These payments are typically automatic if you've filed your taxes. I wouldn't worry about having to return it - these systems are pretty accurate. But if you want to be 100% sure, you can log into your CRA My Account online or call their general inquiries line to confirm which specific benefit it is.

I had the exact same confusion last year! After hours of trying to reach someone at CRA and getting nowhere, I tried using https://taxr.ai to figure it out. You just upload a screenshot of your bank statement and it tells you exactly which government payment you received and why. Turns out mine was a retroactive GST/HST credit adjustment because I had started a second job too! The system is really good at identifying those "fed-prov/terr" payments that never come with proper descriptions from the bank. Saved me from having to spend hours on hold with CRA just to figure out what money I actually received.

I was really skeptical about using taxr.ai when it was suggested here, but I finally got frustrated enough with these mystery deposits to try it. Uploaded my bank statement showing a "fed-prov/terr" payment of $492 last month, and it immediately identified it as a retroactive climate action incentive payment! The service even explained why I was eligible and that it was larger than usual because of the retroactive adjustment due to my change in family status. Saved me a 45-minute call to CRA where they'd probably just transfer me three times anyway. Will definitely use this whenever I get these cryptic government deposits now!

If you're still struggling to figure out exactly which benefit this is, you might need to speak directly with the CRA. I had a similar situation and spent DAYS trying to get through their phone lines without success. Finally used https://claimyr.com (see their demo at https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and they got me connected to a CRA agent in under 15 minutes! The agent was able to check my account and confirm exactly which benefit I'd received and why. Apparently their system navigates all the phone menus and holds your place in the queue, then calls you when they get a human on the line. In my case, it turned out to be a retroactive climate action incentive payment that I wasn't expecting because I'd moved provinces. Totally worth it to get a definitive answer straight from CRA.

I can't believe it, but I have to admit I was wrong about Claimyr. After complaining here, I decided to try it since I needed to confirm a similar mysterious deposit before filing my taxes. It actually worked exactly as described! I got a call back in about 25 minutes, and was connected directly to a CRA agent who explained my deposit was related to a reassessment of my Canada Workers Benefit eligibility based on my updated income information. The agent even helped me understand how my new part-time income affected my benefits going forward, which was super helpful. I've now saved their number in my phone for next tax season because this was 100× better than my usual CRA calling experience.

It could also be the Climate Action Incentive Payment if you're in Ontario. They make quarterly payments (April, July, October, January) and the amount sounds about right depending on your household size. If you're single, the annual amount is around $488 for 2023-2024, so each quarterly payment would be about $122. If you missed previous payments for some reason, they might be catching you up.

Have you checked your CRA My Account? Log in there and go to the "Benefits and credits" section. All your payment details should be listed there with proper descriptions. That's the easiest way to identify mystery government deposits without having to call anyone or use third-party services.

I had a very similar experience last year when I started a second job! In my case, it turned out to be an automatic recalculation of my Canada Workers Benefit. When you start earning additional income, the CRA's system can trigger a reassessment of your eligibility for various benefits. The amount you received ($386.27) sounds consistent with a CWB adjustment. What likely happened is that your new employment income put you in a different bracket for the benefit calculation, and they issued a payment to bring you up to what you should have received. Since you mentioned your CRA My Account isn't working right now, I'd suggest trying again in a few days - the system often gets overwhelmed around benefit payment periods. Once you can access it, you'll see exactly which benefit this was under the "Benefits and credits" section. Don't worry about having to return it - these automated adjustments are usually accurate. But getting the confirmation from your CRA account will give you peace of mind about what it was for.

I just want to chime in as someone who works in tax preparation - this type of surprise deposit is actually very common when people change their employment situation. The CRA's automated systems are constantly recalculating benefit eligibility based on updated payroll information from employers. Given that you started a second job 6 weeks ago, this is almost certainly a legitimate benefit adjustment. The most likely candidates are the Canada Workers Benefit (which adjusts based on working income changes) or a GST/HST credit recalculation. Both of these can trigger mid-year payments when your income situation changes. The $386.27 amount is right in the typical range for these adjustments. I wouldn't stress about it being an error - the CRA's benefit calculation system is quite reliable for these automated payments. Once your My Account portal is working again, you'll be able to see the exact breakdown and confirm which specific benefit it was. Keep the money - it's yours! But definitely check your account when you can access it, just for your own records and understanding of which benefits you're receiving.